I'm Running for re-election!

I am excited to share with you that I am running for a second term as your District 3 Gunnison County Commissioner. I got into local government because I love this place and its people, and I’m running for re-election for these same reasons.

I’m running again because I want other people to have the opportunity to deepen their roots and build a life here, like I did. I am running to make the economy work for the people that make this place work; to fight for the natural environment that makes this place home; because I believe in a government by the people, for the people—and you are my people.

The last three years I’ve worked steadily to address housing, transportation, and the environment. With the RTA, we’ve successfully increased bus frequency, as well as transparency and accountability. With the Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee, I’ve supported supplementary staffing for the Forest Service and created a community initiative to build safe wildlife crossings on Highways 135 and 50. Working hand-in-hand with the Town of Crested Butte, I helped get the water and sewer service that made the Whetstone Housing project possible. We are well underway towards building 252 new homes for our community at Whetstone, and the 50 new homes at Sawtooth in Gunnison are already filled with local folks. The County and the City of Gunnison have also created the Gunnison Area Plan, which establishes a vision for how and where we want to direct growth over the next 100 years. Together, we’ve navigated the Lowline Fire, the Highway 50 Bridge closure, the federal withdrawal of SNAP benefits, and threats to our public lands. I have been deeply engaged in working with you to create real solutions for the challenges we’re facing, and I look forward to continuing this work together over the next four years.

Looking ahead, we’re tackling the Gunnison to Mt. Crested Butte Corridor Plan for how we want to use our land, and we’re drafting a ballot measure to fund the maintenance of county roads and bridges. We’re seeing substantial development proposals and diligently processing these applications. Personally, I want to move forward policies that incentivize the private sector’s participation in providing attainable housing, implement wildlife crossings on our highways, increase child care options, and grow our high-paying jobs by supporting the trades, green jobs, and science/technology businesses. 

I also want to recognize the difficult times we’re living through. We’re seeing the federal government behave in egregious, unconstitutional ways. We’re facing a health care crisis. I am deeply concerned about protecting our democracy and constitution. While local government doesn’t control a lot of this, we do still have a voice at the table, and I am actively using that voice to stand up for you at the state and national level.

Thank you for trusting me to represent you these last four years. It has been the great honor of my life, and I hope you will trust me to do it for four more.